Gullballen (English: the Golden Ball) is a Norwegian football award given by the Norwegian Football Federation to the best male and female Norwegian footballers each year. The award replaced Kniksen of the Year as the main award given to the best Norwegian footballer in a calendar year.
The first award was given in 2014 to Stefan Johansen. Until 2018, the award was given to only one player, either male or female. In 2015, Ada Hegerberg became the first woman to win the award. Hegerberg, Caroline Graham Hansen, and Erling Haaland are the only players to have won the award more than twice. Gullballen has been given out at Norwegian sport award Idrettsgallaen since 2015.
Winners 2014–2017
Year Winner Club(s) Stefan Johansen Celtic Ada Hegerberg Lyon Ada Hegerberg (2) Joshua King Bournemouth
2018–present
From 2018, the Gullballen has been awarded to both a male and female footballer.
+Men's awardYear Winner Club(s) Rune Jarstein Hertha BSC Martin Ødegaard Vitesse Real Sociedad Erling Haaland Borussia Dortmund Erling Haaland (2) Erling Haaland (3) Borussia Dortmund Manchester City Erling Haaland (4) Manchester City Erling Haaland (5) Erling Haaland (6)+Women's awardYear Winner Club(s) Ada Hegerberg (3) Lyon Caroline Graham Hansen VfL Wolfsburg Barcelona Caroline Graham Hansen (2) Barcelona Caroline Graham Hansen (3) Guro Reiten Chelsea Caroline Graham Hansen (4) Barcelona Caroline Graham Hansen (5) Caroline Graham Hansen (6)
By club Men's clubs ClubWins Manchester City 4 Borussia Dortmund 3 Bournemouth 1 Celtic 1 Hertha BSC 1 Real Sociedad 1 Vitesse 1
Women's clubs ClubWins Barcelona 6 Lyon 3 Chelsea 1 VfL Wolfsburg 1
References